This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

BOSTON—It was only the Blue Jays’ 37th game of the 2013 season, but it had already come down to a start by a journeyman right-hander named Diogenes Ramon Ortiz, a 39-year-old whose best seasons — 44 of his 86 wins — came with the Angels from 2001 to 2003. It should be noted Diogenes was a Greek philosopher who pioneered Cynicism—which is the frame of mind many Jays fans have reached. It did not help Friday with the Red Sox 5-0 win over the Jays.

It was no surprise that left-hander Jon Lester dominated the Jays, tossing a one-hitter, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning before a two-out double by Maicer Izturis broke up the bid. Lester already has a career no-hitter to his credit, May 19, 2008 vs. the Royals at Fenway. He had tossed seven shutout innings vs. the Jays on April 7 and had no decision on April 30.

But what was surprising was the tenacity with which the Jays’ venerable retread kept his team in the contest through five. Ortiz had runners in scoring position in every inning, overcoming two errors, three hits and five walks to keep the game close. The only run Ortiz allowed came on a Will Middlebrooks fielder’s choice in the second. The Sox were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position facing the crafty veteran. But they added three runs in the seventh vs. Brett Cecil and right-hander Mickey Storey in his AL debut, after 26 games with the Astros last year.

What has happened to the Jays rotation depth? Each spring training, GM Alex Anthopoulos uses the month of March to determine a depth chart of possible starting pitchers should there be injuries or failures at the major-league level. The Jays have averaged 12 different pitchers per year with at least one start over the past three seasons.

In addition to the Jays’ original starting five pitchers coming out of spring training, both Aaron Laffey and Ricky Romero have started games. Now, with Josh Johnson and J.A. Happ both sidelined until at least the end of the month and with Brandon Morrow, Sunday’s scheduled starter, remaining in Florida to have his back spasms checked out, the Jays are going to have to dig deeper into the shallow end of their starting pool — unless Anthopoulos is working on a trade or a waiver claim.

Article Continued Below

“I’ll tell you, (Alex) never sleeps, he’s always looking for different ways to make the team better so I’m sure he’s looking that route as well,” manager John Gibbons said prior to Friday’s loss.

“But it’s not easy to do, especially this time of year, teams don’t want to give up players because most of them still think they have a shot as well. I would be very surprised if we ended up going that route if (Morrow) couldn’t pitch. He was throwing his bullpen and had muscle spasms in his upper back and the next day it moved up towards his neck. Just have to get that out of there. Yeah, until Sunday gets here we won’t know for sure but we think he’ll make it.”

So who’s got next if the Jays have to reach down for another starter by Sunday? Finding veteran help is not a problem for the Jays, even just tapping into Triple-A Buffalo. Romero suddenly became the youngest member of the Bisons’ rotation. Anthopoulos would be able to choose from Miguel Batista, 42, Claudio Vargas, 34, Justin Germano, 30 and Edgar Gonzalez, 30.

If you’re rounding up the usual suspects in terms of potential starters, you always have to include a pair of former first-round draft picks, Chad Jenkins (June ’09) and Deck McGuire (June ’10). Jenkins was slated to be converted into a reliever, but just now is coming back from inflammation of his right shoulder and has gone into the Double-A Fisher Cats rotation. McGuire, who was not invited to major-league camp this spring, is 2-3, with a 5.11 ERA in seven starts at New Hampshire.

“You know something’s going to go wrong, you’re never going to get through the season with five guys,” Gibbons said. “They brought in some veteran guys who had success in the big leagues, they’ve been there. It’s definitely coming into play.

“A lot of them haven’t had any starts here but they’ve been on that shuttle back and forth to cover off some of the rough starts earlier. (Jenkins) is throwing well. He’s a little bit limited right now but he’s on track. He’s building himself up right now. But he’s a guy the organization really likes.”

If it is determined Morrow cannot make the start in the series finale on Sunday, the Jays will make that decision on Saturday and yet another pitching injury will step up to cost them. And it’s not just the pitchers. Rajai Davis left the game in the fourth inning with a strained left oblique.

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com